Mexico City children will get an unexpected day off from school on Thursday, as president Claudia Sheinbaum ordered the suspension of classes in an effort to minimize traffic on the day the Mexican national team plays the World Cup opener against South Africa.

Speaking Tuesday, Sheinbaum also told federal employees to work from home on Thursday, with the exception of essential services and those involved with World Cup matters.

The Mexico-South Africa game will kick off at 1 p.m. local time, the first of 104 World Cup games to be spread across Mexico, Canada and the United States over the next six weeks.

Sheinbaum said the decision regarding Thursday closures was made in an effort toward “improving conditions for mobility, road safety and accessibility, both for Mexico City inhabitants and visiting tourists, on the occasion of the inauguration of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.”

She added, “The private and social sectors in Mexico City are urged to implement remote working arrangements for all non-essential administrative activities.”

The Mexican national team plays a night game on June 18 against South Korea in Zapopan, Mexico, then concludes play in Group A against the Czech Republic in Mexico City on the night of June 24.

–Field Level Media

Star Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. was scheduled for an MRI after exiting Atlanta’s Tuesday road game against the Chicago White Sox in the fourth inning due to left hamstring tightness.

Following the Braves’ 6-5, 10-inning loss, Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said the ailment “doesn’t seem as bad as the last one,” referring to a left hamstring strain that kept Acuna out for 15 games in May.

Weiss added that Acuna is considered day-to-day for the moment.

While attempting to leg out an infield single, Acuna pulled up and hobbled past first base and then off the field into the locker room after appearing to sustain the injury on his final step before reaching the bag.

He was replaced in right field and atop the lineup by Eli White.

Acuna, the 2018 National League Rookie of the Year and 2023 NL MVP, missed 14 games earlier this season due to a hamstring strain while similarly trying to leg out an infield hit. He saw his 2021 and 2024 seasons end prematurely due to torn ACLs.

The five-time All-Star is hitting .251 with seven homers and 22 RBIs in 53 games. He is a career .287 hitter with 193 homers and 481 RBIs over 870 games across nine seasons with Atlanta.

–Field Level Media

Oswald Peraza had three RBIs and Jo Adell and Wade Meckler and drove in two apiece as the Los Angeles Angels built an early seven-run lead and cruised to a 10-1 victory over the Houston Astros on Tuesday night at Anaheim, Calif.

Meckler scored three times and reached base five times on three walks, one hit and once via error for the Angels, who had lost six of their previous eight games. Sebastian Rivero had two hits before exiting with a left wrist injury and Adell and Peraza also had two hits.

Brice Matthews had an RBI single for the Astros, who had won three of their previous four contests.

Walbert Urena (4-4) pitched five scoreless innings to win his third straight decision for the Angels. He gave up three hits, walked five and struck out seven before three relievers finished up.

Houston’s Kai-Wei Teng (3-5) was roughed up for seven runs (five earned) and seven hits over four innings. He struck out five and walked three.

Rivero had a streak of seven straight hits before the injury that occurred when he fouled off a pitch in the fifth. Logan O’Hoppe entered for the final two pitches of the at-bat and took a called strike three with the strikeout charged to Rivero to end his hit streak.

Los Angeles first baseman Nolan Schanuel (calf) departed before the top of the fourth inning due to left calf tightness.

The Angels scored twice without a hit in the first inning.

Los Angeles loaded the bases with one out on two walks and an error before Schanuel was hit by Teng’s pitch to force in a run. Peraza followed with a possible double-play grounder but Jose Altuve dropped the ball on the exchange after securing the out at second as Meckler scored.

The Angels erupted for five runs in the second inning.

The bases were loaded with one out when Meckler hit a two-run double to left to make it 4-0. Adell followed with another two-run double to make it a six-run game. Schanuel singled to put runners on the corners before Peraza hit into a fielder’s choice to score Adell.

Houston scored in the seventh while sending pinch hitters to the plate for Jeremy Pena, Yordan Alvarez, Christian Walker and Altuve in a five-batter span.

With two outs, Collin Price singled and starter Isaac Paredes walked before Matthews stroked an RBI single to right to get the Astros on the board.

Trey Mancini’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the eighth made it 8-1. Peraza’s infield hit and Denzer Guzman’s infield out also plated runs.

–Field Level Media